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R22 Phase-OutOctober 12, 2016

Six years ago, the U.S. added regulations driven by global warming concerns that impacted the refrigeration community. Each year since 2010, the production and importing of R-22, a common hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant, have been exponentially limited. The phase-out will end with nationwide ban of virgin R-22 on January 1, 2020 under the EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program. This program follows the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement, that has already banned the sale of ozone depleting refrigerants, like HCFCs, in other countries. Regulations like these have accelerated a worldwide push to phase-out the use of harmful refrigerants: including R-22.

Since the demand exceeds the diminishing supply of R-22, facilities that rely on this refrigerant are facing prices that approach $20.00 per pound. Subsequently, converting entire facilities to SNAP-approved refrigerants is becoming more economically appealing. So, what can be used as a replacement to the phased-out R-22? The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) offers over a dozen alternative refrigerants such as R-407A, R-407C, and R-427A. Although the list is abundant, there is no true “drop-in” solution. It takes a talented team of engineers to decipher the best solution for each scenario; and it takes an experienced team of technicians to execute the replacement.

Innovative Refrigeration Systems is proud to have the skilled team and newest technology to be able to provide customers with successful refrigerant conversions. Projects span from East Coast to West Coast, and range from facilities running on less than 10,000 pounds to an excess of 30,000 pounds of refrigerant. As the world keeps demanding changes that push for a brighter future, Innovative will continue to adapt and offer services to make those changes happen.

Innovative Refrigeration Systems is a design, build contractor with over 20 years experience in the industrial refrigeration market. We specialize in designing safe, reliable, and energy efficient refrigeration systems even at full turn down. Our engineering staff is highly trained and experienced designing refrigeration systems including Ammonia, Ammonia/ CO2 Cascade Systems, Freon Split Systems, Processing Applications, Blast Freezing applications and more. Utilizing the latest technology throughout our design build process, we are confident that the quality and performance of our systems is unrivaled in the industry. For more information please visit our website.